The Silence Between Us
by coveryoureyes
Summary: Seth knew it wasn't going to be easy. He'd always viewed the Cullens as people - it wasn't that he had anything against vampires. But he was in no way prepared when he imprinted on the mute Daphne when he first looked into her dark red eyes.
1. Lost and Found

**THE SILENCE BETWEEN US**

"In just a moment his entire life was tilted off its axis. It was always described as something wonderful, the process of finding your soulmate. But imprinting was anything but perfect when Seth looked into Daphne's dark red eyes."

* * *

><p><em>Oh, in the strangest dreams, walking by your side<em>  
><em> It is the hole you impose upon your life<em>  
><em> When you're out, loneliness, it crawls up in the ground<em>  
><em> It's what you feel, but can't articulate out loud.<em>

_ Oh you go to sleep on your own and you wake each day with your thoughts_  
><em> And it scares you being alone<em>  
><em> It's a last resort<em>

_ All you want is someone onto whom you can cling_  
><em> Your mother warned of strangers and the dangers they may bring<em>  
><em> Your dreams and memories are blurring into one<em>  
><em> The scenes which hold the waking world slowly come undone<em>

_ You'll come undone_

_Sleepsong, Bastille _

* * *

><p>Garrett already knew that she wouldn't be inside of the house. Her scent was barely stale, they had missed her by no more than three weeks. Even knowing this, he let out an annoyed sigh when he opened – well, broke down – the door to reveal nothing but dusty rooms.<p>

Kate's hesitant touch on his shoulder grounded him and kept him from losing his temper at yet another failure. Wrapping her arms around him from behind, she stood on the tips of her toes and hooked her chin over his shoulder.

"This is the last of the houses?"

Garrett nodded minutely and responded in what he tried to make a casual tone as he said, "Yes. This is the last of the places we stayed when we were traveling together. I'd been hoping she'd be here. I can't keep looking from house to house to try to track her down, and I certainly can't ask you to continue to accompany me."

Kate laughed lightly and pecked him on the cheek before disentangling herself from him and walking around so she was facing him. She reached forward and laced her hands through his, waiting until he met her gaze to speak.

"Garrett, traveling with my mate for the last six years hasn't been a hardship. Idiot. We both know it was exactly what I needed after what happened with the Olympic coven. I would have gone mad sitting in Denali and locking myself away to mourn."

He nodded to show he was listening, and she continued in a sympathetic tone.

"I know that not finding her has been difficult, but we have left notes at every house. When – not if, _when_ – she returns to one of your past homes, she'll know you're in Denali. Furthermore, she'll know she is welcome to stop by."

Garrett cocked an eyebrow and said in a questioning tone, "Kate, love, you know what she means to me, but I'm still not sure that you understand what the implications of her staying are. She's a bit of a handful, and doesn't know how to live off of animal blood."

"Well I admit it's not entirely out of the goodness of my heart. I want to meet the famous _Daphne_."

"Is that jealousy I detect?"

Rolling her eyes, Kate shoved him sideways, perhaps a bit overzealously she realized when she saw the dent he caused in the wall.

"No, it's not. When you left you two were no longer more than friends, you were simply companions, yes? I _do _however want to meet the only human you have ever turned. Even if she is a baby vampire."

Garrett grinned and pulled her into an embrace, kissing her lightly before pulling back.

Grimacing theatrically, he pulled a cell phone from his pocket and said, "And now I'll have to use the damn technology the Cullens forced on me! Bloody industrialists."

Kate snorted and walked back out of the house, pausing on the porch and waiting for her mate to stand alongside her. When he reached her she turned and said, "You give them a call, I'll find a deer or two. I haven't eaten since we were in Montana. After this, we'll head home."

Garrett couldn't control the smile that covered his face at hearing her include her home in Denali as his unthinkingly. Before he could snap out of his preoccupied thoughts to answer her, she had sped off, leaving him alone outside the shabby cottage.

Unsurprisingly, Carlisle Cullen picked up the phone after only one ring.

"Garrett, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Carlisle! It's good to hear you, my friend. Unfortunately I'm not making a social call."

"I suspected as much. Are you and Kate planning on rejoining Tanya, Carmen, and Eleazar in the near future?"

"That is part of the reason I'm calling. Do you remember briefly meeting Daphne?"

"I believe so. You're talking about the young vampire you created, correct? The one who's a –"

Garrett felt only momentary guilt at cutting off his old friend, but he was fiercely protective of the young woman he had sired who had become his closest friend for some years, and he didn't want to risk hearing Carlisle say anything unintentionally insensitive.

"Yes, that's her. You'll remember I insisted she stay behind while you gathered witnesses against the Volturi for your grandchild. Kate and I have been searching for her every once in a while we have been traveling the States. We're in Northwest Oregon, and her scent is less than a month old. She knew vaguely of where your coven was situated and I believe she might turn up near your territory – the last place she knows I traveled to was to aid you in your stand. If she arrives, I ask that you let her know I've gone to Denali."

"Of course. And it goes without saying I'll treat her with respect. I'll ask Alice to watch for any unfamiliar vampires coming near our part of Washington."

"Thank you, Carlisle. I hope to hear from you soon."

"Safe travels, Garrett."

The click of Carlisle hanging up and ending the conversation jarred Garrett for a moment. With the end of the call it felt as though he had made a final decision to abandon his search, something he wasn't sure was the right choice.

Somewhat preoccupied, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and began to run into the forest, closely following his true mate's scent so he could join her on her hunt. His thoughts, however, remained on Daphne – the peculiar girl that he had changed on a whim, and who had proven to be an even more peculiar vampire.

* * *

><p>Daphne heard a near-silent ripping sound and stopped running so suddenly she almost tripped. Were it possible for a vampire to be caught off balance, she probably would have face planted.<p>

Staring down at her jeans, she confirmed that there was yet _another _tear in the denim. Damn, that thorn bush had really done a number on them. It didn't help either that she had fished them out of a bargain bin in a thrift store along with the loose v neck t shirt and backpack she now wore, and even then they hadn't been in the best of shape.

_Well, nothing to do about it now._

She was pretty sure that she had crossed the border of Oregon a few hours before, which would be putting her midway up the coastal side of Washington state. Daphne had never been so far west in her life, and she couldn't help the childish thrill that surged through her at the thought of being in a new place. If only she could find the place she was actually looking for.

It had been inevitable that she and Garrett would part ways. He had stayed by her side for six years or so after her transformation – yet another thing she owed him for. He had been her creator, briefly her lover, and most recently her very best friend. It was not the fact that they were separated that had driven her to seek him out in the past few months, it was the _restlessness. _

For the first five and a half years after he had left with the peculiar golden eyed vampire, she had continued on as normal. She had been traveling, exploring the world as a predator instead of the prey she had been when she was attacked and then bitten that February night. But it had grown lonesome. Daphne wasn't set on staying with Garrett, but if anything she wanted to have a conversation and plan to keep in touch before they set off to do their own things once again.

So she had been back to a few of their old houses looking for him, but none of them appeared to have been lived in. Being a rational person, she knew she had to retrace his steps in a sense.

Which was why she was running through a very green, very damp forest in the middle of fucking Nowhere-ville, Washington State.

The golden-eyed vampire, Carson? Carlo? – she had been panicking at a foreign vampire approaching and had been unable to control herself, so she had been morphing back and forth nonstop and couldn't concentrate very well on the conversation – had said he lived in Forks, Washington. The last name was Cullen, she remembered that much, and a quick trip into a public library had allowed her the computer access she needed to find out where the hell the town named after _cutlery _was situated.

So she found herself journeying to Forks, hoping to say hello to Garrett before deciding what next to do with her life. Um… sort-of life.

_Was she alive?_

She had nearly perfected her ability, which had required quite a bit of understanding the human condition and mimicking such behavior, but she herself was undoubtedly a vampire. Undead, strong, growly – surprisingly glittery, but it was only fair that there were downsides to immortality – and her uncompleted Psychology undergraduate degree had meant she'd spent days contemplating whether or not she was alive or merely existing.

A bit too philosophical for Daphne, but vampires were supposed to be brooding, right?

She only allowed herself another moment of thought before she set out running once again. The forest she was traveling in was empty of human life, though she had been making out the sounds of large animal heartbeats. If worst came to worst, she'd either drink from any human she came across or morph so she could continue on her way without arousing suspicion.

No matter how fast she ran, how hard she pushed herself, Daphne could still make out the minute details of every leaf she passed.

_God, the artist in Penelope would have had a field day._

But her sister was dead. Killed in the same night she had been saved in a sense by Garrett's venom. Penny was one of the only things she remembered from her human life, and she felt a rush of nostalgia and sadness each time her older sister crossed her thoughts.

In her preoccupation with thoughts of her deceased sister, Daphne almost missed the scent at first. Just a second later though, it was almost overwhelming.

What on earth…

It smelled – musky was the closest word to what she was inhaling. Her senses were a bit off for a vampire, undoubtedly because of her bizarre 'ability.' Because of this it took her a moment to recall what the smell reminded her of.

Brief flashes crossed her mind. A squirming ball of fur, growing into a huge dog over the course of a decade. Playing with the dog… Dusty, that was it. Chase and fetch and sprinklers –

There we go. The scent reminded her of wet dog. How curious.

Unwilling to let such a mystery go unsolved as to what could be producing such a potent scent, Daphne's path veered a bit to the side, nose now locked on to the trail.

Minutes later she was close enough to the animal she was following to hear the wet thudding of a huge, powerful heart.

She made out a shape half a mile away, a hulking beast with a dark brown coat obscured by the dense foliage. It had frozen, definitely hearing her approach, so she in turn froze as well. A low growl made her bones vibrate, and it began to lope closer to her until they stood a mere thirty feet apart and it stood in an attacking stance.

Animals had always reacted strangely to her since becoming a vampire. Many were fearful, while others displayed aggression, especially those of large predatory species. The wolf that stood before her was mammoth, hardly a wolf at all, but it was beautiful and she didn't want to scare it away just yet, so she extended her hand and began to morph.

Her arm had been in direct sunlight, so the visual effect of her using her gift was obvious. Slowly she raised her body temperature until it was what she approximated to be about human, and her skin lost its sparkling cover, gaining the few freckles and more olive hue that she had before she had transformed. She didn't need a mirror to know that her dark red eyes had now faded to the brown shade they had possessed as a human.

Of course, her transformation was not quite that – it wasn't a _transformation_ so much as camouflage. Her skin remained strong, her throat burned, and her senses were still elevated, but somehow when she was turned she had gained the ability to briefly pass visually as a human, though the process was admittedly exhausting.

The wolf froze, and its growling abruptly stopped, as if it was confused. The sound of more wolves approaching almost caused her to morph back, but she didn't want to scare the wolf away just yet. She sincerely hoped that when she continued on her journey to the Cullens' residence the pack would not attempt to attack her – they were much too beautiful to needlessly die at her hands.

The brown wolf, the one she had seen initially, resumed its growling as its pack members seemed to be coming closer. In mere moments three more had joined the first, and Daphne was openly gaping at this point. They were – wow. They were _enormous_. Her concentration wavered for a moment as she let out an incredulous and awed sigh, and her camouflage wavered.

The grey wolf to her right lunged, and with regret she swung her leg out in a kick that would connect with its jaw. She only hoped that the animal wouldn't be too injured.

However, her foot did not touch its jaw, it instead connected with the teeth inside of its gaping mouth. A tugging sensation caught her completely by surprise, and she lurched in the direction of the wolf. A flash of light glinting off of something white within the wolf's mouth caught her attention while she remained in shock that she had been moved.

It was – holy fuck. That was her _foot _that it was now spitting to the side. Daphne couldn't process what was happening. The wolf had somehow torn off her goddamn foot. For a second she couldn't even feel it.

And then she did. _Oh, did she feel it_.


	2. Up the Wrong Tree

Chapter Two: Up the Wrong Tree

_Have you every felt like life's just a hazard?  
>Made up of tricks and dupes, for all the suckers out there<br>It's gonna get us all at one time, indefinitely  
>Watch out, there's no escape.<br>Have you ever felt like love's just like concrete  
>Poured out and left to harden, to be walked all over<br>Sometimes you can leave your handprints in love  
>Watch out, don't get stuck<br>Oh, this dubious life._

_Hazard, Gossling_

* * *

><p>Jacob had seen the vampire through Quil's eyes as she had frozen upon seeing his shifted form. One of the advantages that the wolves had over the occasional rogue vampire was that many didn't know what they were, not realizing their strengths against leeches until it was too late for them.<p>

But it was what happened next that had the alpha panicking, calling for Seth and Embry to join him in coming to Quil's aid.

She was – fuck, what _was _she? When she'd reached toward Quil she had been doing so slowly, seemingly not going in for an attack, but her red eyes had been an obvious giveaway that she was anything but peaceful. And then she'd changed. She'd become human looking. Even her scent had changed, causing Quil to freak out.

_Jake! Jake what the fuck do I do? Should I take her out? Shit, is she even a leech?_

_Stay there. Don't attack yet, we're only a minute away._

When the rest of the pack that had been shifted reached her, they immediately surrounded her and prepared to attack, while Jacob took a moment to examine her.

She was pretty, beautiful even, but she didn't have the sharp look of the other vampires Jake had seen, she seemed softer and more delicate. She was definitely human looking at the moment - if he didn't look too closely - but the wolves' heightened senses allowed them to see past her startling disguise. Her teeth were a bit too white, too sharp, and she stood incredibly still. But the lack of heartbeat was the most obvious giveaway.

_She's definitely a vamp. I think she's got an extra power, she can change her appearance, maybe send illusions like the Amazonian vamp that came up._

Seth was oddly silent during the exchange, and when Jacob skimmed his thoughts he got the sense that Seth was more fascinated that disgusted or anything else – predictably, when he took into account that Seth had always been too interested in vampires for his own good.

Embry had circled to her right side, and calmly asked, _So I should go in to incapacitate her?_

_Yeah, but wait for my signal._

The vampire looked at each of their bodies with wide eyes, but her expression was strangely appreciative if he had to describe it. However when she let out a light sigh her illusion flickered, showing her true face and the red eyes that betrayed her murderous tendencies.

_Go._

Embry lunged suddenly and the vampire responded quickly, twirling in a dance-like action that reminded Jake of Alice Cullen while aiming a kick for Embry's face. Embry easily caught her foot, making quick work of tearing it off, rendering her unable to run.

There was a strange moment of silence in which the vampire froze, balancing on her remaining foot as her eyes followed the path of her amputated appendage.

And then she reacted. Jesus Christ, did she react.

It wasn't like anything he had ever heard, and Jacob could hear through the thoughts of the pack members present that they were all strangely sickened at the sound. It wasn't a scream of pain, not an angry shriek, it was _animalistic_. Even more terrifyingly alien – _it was almost completely silent. _Her vocal cords were seemingly not being engaged beyond a high, reedy whine - it was more like a rush of air, an exhale that was so harsh and loud that if she was human it would have torn her throat apart. Unrefined, uninhibited, and horrified, it honestly took him aback. Before any of them could enter the fight and cut off the god awful sound of her quiet cry, she leaped up surprisingly high for a vampire with only one foot, gripping a tree branch and pulling herself up, before quickly ascending to the top of the pine.

_Fuck._

The four of them immediately charged at the tree, clawing up at the branches and loosening the roots from the damp earth. In seconds the pine tilted, swaying and then pitching quickly to the ground. Just before it slammed to the dirt, the girl leaped once again to another tree. The cycle continued for almost half a mile, the vampire jumping tree to tree, though Jacob noted that it was not without difficulty what with her missing foot. Each time she collided with a new tree she let out another harsh exhale, but thank god without the keening sound she had let out before.

The chase continued, and to the pack's frustration she was nearing the border to the Cullens' territory, which would render them unable to continue on. With a final leap, the vampire made it over the line.

Seth interjected quickly with a tinge of panic.

_Jake, we gotta warn Carlisle. We can't have her killing in Forks_.

Realizing Seth was right, Jacob threw his head back and howled. It was a Saturday, and Nessie had told him that on Saturdays Carlisle and Esme remained at home, so he estimated that he would arrive in mere minutes.

The vampire had frozen, not moving from her position nearly thirty feet up in a maple tree, only twenty feet over the border. She seemed confused that the wolves had stopped chasing her, and clutched tightly enough to the trunk of the tree that the wolves could hear the splintering sound of her lightly crushing the wood.

She was sitting on a branch close to the trunk on the opposite side so that she was nearly obscured from their vision, arms wrapped around it in an embrace mirroring a hug. As the pack grew more and more restless and impatient waiting for Carlisle to arrive, Jake noticed that she had started to peek around as if to study the wolves. When he met her gaze her expression turned curious, but when he let out a low growl she quickly whipped back around.

It was… odd. Sort of childlike. As he replayed the moment for the pack to see, Embry let out a sharp bark of a laugh.

_Is she defective or something?_

_I have no idea. I can hear Carlisle though. He'll be here in a few seconds._

The vampire obviously heard him too as she whipped her head around to the direction he was approaching from.

Carlisle appeared disheveled a moment later - out of character for him – before stopping at the base of the tree that the girl was clutching at.

Jacob quickly phased back to human, and ordered Seth to as well. Seth's disposition had always made him an asset in negotiations with vampires, even one's Jacob was as close with as the Cullens. The men quickly pulled on the cut offs that had been wrapped around each of their hind legs, not ashamed of their nudity, but wanting to appear a bit more professional when formally talking to Carlisle as members representing the Quileute tribe.

The vampire _still _hadn't moved, even with another one of her kind having come so close to her while she was injured, and Jake wasn't sure if he should be explaining the situation or waiting for an explanation.

Because of Carlisle's lack of confusion or panic at the vampire girl in the tree, Jacob decided on the latter. He cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms to convey his impatience, while Seth smiled a greeting at the doctor.

"Jacob, Seth, it's always good to see you."

"Likewise, doc. Want to explain what's going on? Do you know the vamp who just crossed through our land?"

The man – vampire, whatever – appeared almost chagrined for a second before the expression was replaced with one of polite friendliness.

"Yes, though not very well. I can assure you she was not aware of the treaty. She's actually here to find one of the vampires who arrived six years ago to bear witness against the Volturi. Garrett – he's since joined the other coven in Alaska who live off the blood of animals."

Not exactly feeling reassured, Jake snorted lightly and said in an annoyed tone of voice, "But her eyes make it pretty damn clear that she's not on the vegetarian diet. Are you gonna make sure she doesn't kill anyone around here?"

"Absolutely. I'll take full responsibility for her actions."

There was a lull in the conversation, and Jacob had almost forgotten that Seth had phased back into a human beside him with his uncharacteristic silence. However, he put an end to the quiet when he asked apprehensively, "Is she alright… in the head? She's been kind of… quiet."

Carlisle's eyes widened and he quickly shook hi head before saying, "Oh, no, no, she's perfectly intelligent. She's just a mute. Or at least she was as a human. She was turned in '04, so she doesn't know what you are, which is why I'm assuming she's terrified."

Seth's mouth fell open as he cut off the doctor and said in an interested tone, "1804?"

"No, actually. 2004."

_Whoa._

Jacob hadn't really met a vampire who had been turned recently – well, if the last decade counted as 'recently' – and he was definitely curious. She'd had to have lost her newborn strength, but he couldn't help but speculate about her control.

He suddenly remembered her bizarre ability and was about to ask about it when Carlisle looked up and said in a gentle tone of voice, "Daphne, I'm Garrett's friend Carlisle Cullen, do you remember me?"

The girl – Daphne, now that he had a name – nodded, but, well, obviously didn't say anything in response.

"Can you climb down for me? I'll take you back to my house and we can go from there."

Her reaction was decidedly different as she frantically shook her head in a clear show of refusal. She then extended her leg out and lightly shook it, making it very, _very _clear that she was down a foot.

_Ah, shit. Here comes the guilt._

Before anything more could be said, Jacob turned around and said to Embry, who was still in wolf form, "Go back and grab her foot. Try to make it back here ASAP."

Embry nodded his head once and immediately took off into the woods in the direction that their pursuit of Daphne had followed.

Seth beat him to the punch when he glanced up to where the girl was sitting before turning to Carlisle and saying, "Can she turn into a human?"

The doctor seemed to be choosing his words carefully when he responded, "I'm not quite sure. We met briefly, and Garrett is very protective of her. It's not my place to talk about it. After she comes back to my home she may be willing to speak to you, but it is entirely her decision."

A rustling sound from the maple that Daphne was sitting in alerted the four men standing below the tree that she was moving around. She swung around a backpack that she had been carrying until it was in front of her before she pulled out a pen and a pad of paper. Her hand blurred as her pen flew across the page, and when she turned the notebook down to face Carlisle a second or two later, Jacob briefly saw nearly the whole page filled with writing.

Carlisle was gazing up at her, clearly able to read the paper, and nodded along to whatever sentiment Daphne had written.

The golden eyed vampire turned to face the wolves and met Jacob's eyes before relaying the message, "Daphne was wondering if she could please have her foot back, and if you could refrain from removing any more of her body parts," at this, Jacob couldn't suppress the cringe that crossed his face, and in his peripheral vision he saw Seth flinch, "She also said that she is – well. I'm going to cut out some of her more vulgar language and graphic metaphors" at this an annoyed huff could be heard from Daphne, causing Quil to snort in amusement, "put out with you, but that she might talk with you at a later date about herself if you similarly speak with her about your own abilities."

Jake was nodding absentmindedly, begrudgingly admitting that her offer was more generous than they maybe deserved, but Embry emerged from the woods carrying Daphne's foot before anything more could be said. Embry gently placed the body part in Jacob's hand, and he lobbed it across the line to Carlisle as quickly as he could, not wanting to touch it any longer than was absolutely necessary.

He really owed Embry a solid for carrying that thing in his mouth for so long.

Carlisle caught it swiftly, and without further prompting Daphne put her supplies back into her bag before she dropped from the tree, landing surprisingly gracefully on one foot, crouching as she made contact with the ground.

All of the wolves watched in fascination as Carlisle pressed the amputated body part to the point where it was severed, equally disgusted and awed at the way it reattached itself in barely a minute. The vampire straightened her stance and pressed her weight onto her now-fully-intact limb, seemingly pleased with the result.

Carlisle smiled at the girl and said in a jokingly casual voice, "Well, its nice to see you again, Daphne."

Daphne's response was a high trilling vibration, what Jacob guessed was an approximation of a laugh, and he watched as she dipped her head in an equally joking greeting.

Carlisle looked back to them and said, "It was nice seeing you, Jacob, Seth, Embry, Quil – I just wish it had been under less stressful circumstances. Tell Nessie I say hello. I'll be in touch with you."

The vampires turned and prepared to leave, but the silence was pierced by Seth's shout of, "Wait!"

Carlisle turned his head to look at Seth, but Daphne's spine remained rigid as she faced the direction of the Cullens' house.

"I'm sorry about your foot. And chasing you. We were just doing our job."

The vampire seemed to relax, and she turned around with a small smile. The expression transformed her face, and even with her dark red eyes she seemed to emit a gentle sort of persona. A quiet, thrumming growl seemed to be an acceptance of the apology, and a second later she and Carlisle took off into the forest.

The strange silence among the men was only broken by the heavy sound of Embry's breathing due to his sprinting so quickly in order to retrieve Daphne's foot. Jacob scrubbed his hand over his face, frustrated by the situation, but resigned to the fact that the vampire with a human diet was protected at the moment.

He looked over to Seth, waiting for his second in command to comment, joke, do _anything _that he would normally. When he saw Seth's face, it didn't register for a second.

Was something wrong with him? Why the hell did he look like –

_Holy fuck. Holy fucking shit, is something like this even _possible_?_

Jacob knew that face. The open mouth, wide eyed stare and expression of awe.

Seth had imprinted. On a red eyed, human-blood-drinking vampire.


	3. That Sharp-Toothed Smile

Chapter Three: That Sharp-Toothed Smile

_She's got you high and you don't even know yet_  
><em> She's got you high and you don't even know yet<em>  
><em> It's the search for the time before it leaves without you<em>  
><em> Have you lost your mind or has she taken all of yours too?<em>

_She's Got You High, Mumm-Ra_

* * *

><p>She was perfect. Large eyes surrounded by dark lashes made her face so expressive, and her smile – damn, that smile lit up his world.<p>

Seth watched as she and Carlisle ran back to the Cullens' house. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and she blurred through the forest, and even as he stood on the border between their territories he longed to run after her. He needed to interact with her, find out her favorite things, let her know how much he wanted to make her happy.

It was the baffled "Holy fuck" from where Jake was standing that snapped him out of his daydreaming.

He turned and threw Jacob a questioning glance, and saw his alpha's horrified and gob smacked expression.

"Seth, you just… you…"

Oh. _Ohhhh._

He had just imprinted.

The first emotion that hit him was wonder, excitement flooding through him at the thought of finding his soul mate. Unlike many of his pack mates, he had always looked forward to imprinting, to finding the perfect girl for him. Or guy, he guessed. He wasn't going to question to the Spirits.

But now… he'd found her. Or more accurately, she'd found him.

"Jake… she's perfect."

He hadn't even noticed that Quil and Embry had shifted back until Quil shouted, "Seth, she's a leech! She fucking kills _humans!_"

Instinct hit him fast and hard. Anger - no, rage – flowed through him as it never had before in his life. He snarled loudly and crouched into a fighting stance as he prepared to shift, ready to attack anyone who talked badly about his imprint. About Daphne.

"Shut the fuck up, Quil! Don't call her that!"

Jake's hand clamped down tightly on his shoulder, turning him so he was once again facing him.

Surprisingly, Jake let out an Alpha command when he said in a low voice, "Seth, calm down. We're going back to my house. We have to figure this out."

He automatically nodded his head, agreeing quickly as he prepared to shift. Taking off his cut offs and tying them to his leg, his thoughts began to sort themselves out.

The pack mind was overwhelming from the moment he took on his wolf form what with his three friends panicking and practically echoing in his thoughts with their booming anger that was tinged with disgust ,and they all began running toward the house where Jake and Nessie lived on the reservation. Seth wanted to tear them apart, but he ignored their voices instead as he focused his own, internally running through the last few minutes.

He had imprinted, and Daphne was a vampire, that was undeniable. Seth had never had anything against vampires, but he would admit that his attitude was mostly because his first impression had been the Cullens, and they didn't hurt anybody.

…And based on her eyes, Daphne did. She drank human blood. He knew he was reaching, but he called to mind that Nessie had drunk human blood as a baby, and Bella had when she was pregnant! Maybe she had been drinking from blood bags.

Unfortunately, it was unlikely.

Every time he heard snippets of the conversation going on between the members of the pack who were shifted, he fought against the urge to draw blood. There was nothing positive going on. What right did they have to be judging and having extreme reactions – _he _was the one who should have a lot on his mind.

But Seth couldn't hate Daphne. He couldn't think of her as a bloodthirsty murderer. The sound of her happy trilling laughter kept replaying in his mind. She was his soulmate, and he knew he was a nice guy, a fairly good person. The Spirits wouldn't have matched him with someone who was terrible person – they wouldn't be compatible.

Reaching Nessie and Jake's place, Seth shifted back as quickly as he could, not wanting to hear his brothers' opinions on his imprint for a second more than he had to. The four men entered the house in silence, and it was obvious that Nessie knew something was up the second she walked into the kitchen to see the group standing rigidly.

Seth saw her go on alert immediately, and she quickly made her way to Jake as she demanded, "What's going on? What's wrong?"

Not wanting to hear anyone else's opinion at the moment, he quickly interjected in a bitter voice, "I imprinted, and they aren't exactly happy with my imprint."

Quil exploded, clearly having been letting his emotions stew, and he practically spat out, "It's not that simple, Seth. You imprinted on a _vampire_."

Nessie cocked an eyebrow, and nearly all of the guys in the room cringed when she asked in the dangerous tone that usually led to them getting their asses kicked, "And is there something wrong with her being a vampire?"

Jake cut in, saying in a voice that was clearly meant to calm her down, "Ness, she has red eyes. She drinks human blood."

Her expression drastically changed, quickly morphing into one of sympathy as she said, "Shit Seth, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. You all _know _that I've been waiting to imprint. This was unexpected and yeah, it's not going to be easy by any means, but I refuse to see this as a terrible thing."

Embry hadn't said anything since it had happened, but Seth didn't sense any obviously negative opinions or harsh feelings regarding the imprinting. Embry was the only other one of his brothers that had been waiting an imprint, looking forward to it. He then spoke for the first time since it had happened, and seemed relatively not judgmental.

"How are you planning on dealing with her diet?"

"I… don't exactly know. But in the end, its Daphne's choice what she eats. Obviously it isn't something that makes me happy, but I won't let it impact how I feel about her."

Quil rubbed his hand harshly over his face and let out a loud sigh.

"Fuck, Seth. I'm happy for you that you imprinted, but this isn't okay. I love you man, but I won't let a bloodsucker anywhere on our land. She's protected from us now since she's your imprint, but we can't risk it. I won't risk _Claire._"

That shut him up. There was no way he could remain pissed at Quil when he considered that, and brought up the tribe – it hurt, but for now he had to face to reality that he didn't know if she would attack anyone on the reservation if she was hungry. Nobody said anything, and the silence became uncomfortable.

Jake spoke, surprisingly hesitant as he seemingly realized just how complicated the situation was for Seth and how his feelings were warring with each other, "Maybe she won't have to come _here_. Seth… if you feel comfortable doing it, you could call Carlisle. If you get permission there's no reason that you couldn't see her over _there. _I know that we don't smell appetizing or anything, but she is still dangerous. It would probably be a good idea for Carlisle and Esme to remain nearby. She might hold a grudge about the whole… foot thing."

Seth flinched, and he knew he was grimacing as he replayed her sort-of screams in his mind.

Jake walked over to Nessie and wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear to explain, "We came across her on our land, and attacked her before she made it over the border."

Completely unpredictably - as was the usual, she started to snort and laugh, but she quickly covered her mouth with her hand apologetically, finally gaining her composure to say, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, its fucked up but I mean – talk about a bad first impression."

There was a beat of silence, and then Seth let out a choked sort of laughter with more than a little hysteria in it. Yes, it was fucked up, but yes, it was also darkly funny that a werewolf would imprint on someone who was quite literally their sworn enemy.

Everyone in the room looked a little relieved that he hadn't reacted badly, but there was still an enormous amount of tension in the air. This wasn't the sort of problem the pack was used to. When Jake had imprinted on Nessie it was a done deal, Sam had ceased any sort of violent plans that were going to be implemented against her – she was an innocent. But there was no way that Seth could defend Daphne. For one, her red eyes were not those of a newborn, which meant that she had a steady diet of human blood. And two, he didn't really _know _her.

They hadn't conversed directly unless he counted the one sentence he'd shouted to her and her answering hum. But God – God he wanted to know her. He'd seen the thought process behind imprinting through the other guys who had already imprinted, but nothing could have fully prepared him for it.

Seth's priority was her happiness. It was now the most important thing to him that she was safe.

As the word "safe" ran through his head, his mind whirled. She was a _vampire_. And for all of the problems that the factor presented, it meant she was obviously much more durable than the average person. The only thing he would have to protect her from would be other vampire, especially now that she was protected from any harm at the hands of any of his brothers. But thoughts of her status as a vampire led to a conclusion that he was honestly surprised hadn't hit him yet.

"I'll never stop phasing."

Seth didn't realize he had whispered that out loud until he heard the sharp inhales of everyone in the room. But he couldn't stop himself from speaking as a wave of sharp sadness overcame him, making him feel like he was drowning.

"I'll never have kids. I'll never be a dad. I won't be able to settle down or grow old or –"

It was Jacob that finally intervened, sensing that Seth was becoming slightly hysterical. He left Nessie's side and stepped forward so he stood before Seth, gripping his shoulders tightly and forcing him to meet his gaze.

"Seth. It's gonna be okay. You aren't alone. I'll be right there with you. Think of… think of Daphne. Picture your imprint."

He closed his eyes and his breathing began to slow down – funny, he hadn't even noticed he was half way to hyperventilating – as he pictured his imprint.

Their life together was not going to be easy. For all he knew, she could try to reject the imprint. But no matter what, he was determined to do all that he could to make her happy. The Spirits had made it clear it was meant to be.

Seth shrugged out of Jacob's hold made his way to one of the seats placed around the kitchen table. He could vaguely hear the conversation going on amongst the other four people in the room, but he wasn't too focused on their words as he ran over the few memories of Daphne again and again in his head. Quil, Embry, and Jake were filling Nessie in, explaining that Daphne knew Garrett and by extension Carlisle. He heard them mention that she was a mute, as well as the ability she possessed.

Still mulling over what had happened, he only tuned back into the conversation when he heard his name mentioned by Nessie.

" – Seth will need to be near her, so we should give Carlisle a call and ask permission for Seth to visit in a few days. He should probably give her time to cool off. Carlisle can make sure she stays at the house for a while, and if she leaves we'll find a solution."

His stomach lurched.

_She can't leave. She can't leave before I get to know her._

He couldn't be here right now. Hearing his closest friends talking about Daphne and planning for their upcoming meeting was too much. It had been an exhausting hour; his life had been turned entirely on its axis. Seth really, _really _couldn't deal with his life being spoken of so casually. As if it was just another thing to pencil into the pack's schedule.

He rose from his chair slowly, feeling ten years older than he had just this morning. The sun was setting, and all he wanted to do was go home to his mom, to have dinner with her and Charlie and pretend for a few hours that everything was alright. Seth was being consumed by thoughts of Daphne. Picturing the sun sparkling off of her skin before her arm became tan and lightly freckled. That trilling hum of laughter she'd let loose. And mostly prominently, the need he was suppressing to run over the border that separated La Push from Forks, to sprint as fast as he could to the Cullens' house and take her into his arms.

He cleared his throat, making sure that everyone's attention was on him.

"I'm heading home. I need to clear my head - get some sleep. Jake, could you call Carlisle about me visiting in a few days and let me know what he says tomorrow? Also, I don't want anyone else knowing about this just yet, so could we keep the patrol groups the same for a little while? I don't want anyone to find out about Daphne through one of your thoughts accidentally."

Everyone in the house nodded, though Quil continued to look hesitant to agree. Not wanting to be around any more discussion of what had happened, Seth ran home on two legs. There was no way he would risk the small chance that a different member of the pack would have transformed for the next shift already in the patrol schedule.

The run home took only twenty minutes, and he quietly let himself into the house, already smelling his mom's cooking. It was only when he saw a family photo on the wall that it suddenly hit him.

Leah was going to _FREAK_.


End file.
